How I Oil Trained My Hair

About a year ago I decided to stop washing my hair as much. My goal was to do it as little as possible, but I didn’t set a specific timeframe – I honestly wasn’t sure how long was even possible. I had heard about oil training but didn’t know the first thing about starting. All I knew was that washing my hair everyday was drying it out, and I wanted to make a change.

The crazy thing I learned about about our hair washing is that it’s actually a nasty cycle – you wash your hair because it’s oily, which in turn just makes it more oily! Your hair follicles and scalp produce oil, and the more you wash your hair, the more oil it produces. When you wash your hair, you strip your hair of it’s natural oils and your body gets the signal to produce more trying to combat the problem. Also, you are not only stripping your hair of the ‘bad’ oils, but also of the good essential oils. This reduction in oils can lead to a dried-out scalp, dull, brittle hair strands and even hair breakage.

So what do you do? Luckily, you can actually train your hair to produce less oil by, essentially, tricking it. You wash it less, and over time, it will naturally produce less oil. Yep. Sound easy? Don’t be fooled – this ‘hair training’ is how I’m able to go 6, 7, 8 days without washing my hair, but it wasn’t easy. There were a lot of greasy days in the process, but in the end, it was so worth it. Also, it’s important to note that for some, ‘hair training’ can take months, and for others, it may only take a few weeks. It just totally depends on the texture and weight of your hair. For me, I would say it took ~2 months of training before I was able to confidently go so long in between washes. Below I’m going to share with you all how I oil trained my hair, and how you can do it too.

Step 1:

You need to reset your scalp, so look for a clarifying shampoo that will clean out all of that gunky buildup on your scalp {this is especially important for people who use a lot of dry shampoo or hair spray!} I like this one from Bumble & Bumble, but if you want to spend less, I have heard great things about this option from Neutrogena. Use no more than 1x per week.

Also, pro tip: when using conditioner, only apply to the lower part of your hair, and never directly to the roots. The weight of a conditioner will pull down your hair and cause more oil to form.

Step 2:

Leave your hair alone! Try not to mess with it, or touch it more than you need to. The oil from your hands will transfer to your strands and affect how greasy your hair is already feeling. You will start to have the urge to wash your hair, but now is the time to leave it alone! Try styling it in a top knot, heidi braids, or even wear a baseball cap. Anything you can to stretch out the washes during this time is best.

Step 3:

On days where you think you can go no longer, bring out the dry shampoo. This should help hold you over for atleast an extra day. I like to apply at night, right at the roots, so my hair has lots of time to absorb while I sleep. When I wake up, I take a small brush and tease out {at the root} the small sections that look the greasiest. This will give your hair some volume and help spread the grease throughout your strands. This dry shampoo is my favorite {along with the rest of the world it seems!} But I also have this much less expensive one and love it too.

Step 4:

Wash your hair! If you can bear it no more, go ahead and wash your hair. In the begining, I made note of how long I made it each week without washing. If I went two weeks in a row where I only went 2 or 3 days, that was ok! I just wanted to keep a log so that I could push myself over the course of the training. In the first few weeks I only went three days, so that was always my goal – jus get to day 3, Bridget. Then, once I felt secure at day 3, I would stretch is out an extra day and do that for 1-2 weeks. The cycle continued until I was up until 6/7 days {where I am currently}. Depending on your hair type, you may want to start even slower – washing your hair every-other-day. That way, you can build up your comfort at a slower pace. It’s totally up to you! Do what feels best.

All in all, my hair is the healthiest it’s ever been, and it’s the healthiest it’s ever felt as well. It’s soft and voluminous, and I don’t have as many fried or split ends from using my blow dryer and styling tools as much. I love that I’m able to pop out of bed, brush through my 3 day old curls, and get out the door in no time at all. I especially think this low maintenance hair will come in handy one day when I’m a mom and really don’t have the time! Also, I’ve also found that the weeks I use less product, are the weeks my hair looks the best. I didn’t even bring dry shampoo with me to Munich and my hair looked great for 8 solid days. It feels good to not rely on so many products.

Last but not least, I wanted to answer a few questions I know I’ll get asked about hair training below!

Is it OK to wash hair once a week?

Yes! It is totally safe to wash your hair as little as you feel comfortable with! I can go up to 7/8 days, but does that mean I always do? No! I play it by ear. Life is unpredictable, and if my hair starts to smell because I worked out more, or went to the ranch, then I just wash it! I don’t stress about it. Also, I tend to have normal/dry hair, so I can go longer than most. I think it’s totally ok if you only stretch your washes out

Do you shower while hair training?

Yes, of course! Just because I am skipping the shampoo, does not mean I am skipping the shower altogether {ugh!} I just throw my hair into a bun and do a complete body/face wash + rinse, and it’s never been an issue! You could also use a shower cap if you want that extra level of water/steam protectant! I like these double layered ones that offer a bit more coverage.

Can I/how do I work out while oil training?

Of course if you work out on a regular basis, your hair will build up more oil faster – but there are things you can do to stop this from being too much of an issue. I personally don’t sweat a lot from my scalp/head when I workout – sometimes my forehead will sweat, and definitely my body, but luckily I don’t deal with a lot of head sweat. If you do though, don’t stress. Wear a sweatband while working out to absorb some of the sweat at your hairline. That will help keep it from getting into your roots. Also, after you shower, use my dry shampoo trick before bed. As I mentioned before, this will help your hair absorb some of that extra oil that was produced during your workout.

Ok! So that’s all I’ve got! Let me know if I missed any big questions in the comments and I’m happy to answer them!